"The world's smallest hydropower plant" transforms the power of running water into phone chatting, internet browsing, music listening, GPS navigating and other mobile device activities, and it does so from a package built to fit in a backpack.

We've covered other portable hydroelectric generator systems in the past, and some like the HydroBee were rather compact. Blue Freedom claims its kit is the smallest. It's close to 2 oz (57 g) lighter than the HydroBee and looks considerably more compact. The relatively lightweight, slim Blue Freedom package can be carried in a backpack.

Developed in Germany, the Blue Freedom charging kit consists of a 4.7-in (12-cm-) -diameter micro turbine, a 5W generator and a 5,000 mAh lithium-polymer internal battery. The turbine takes a plunge into a running water body and the unit's base stays ashore, letting you charge devices directly by way of the USB 2A and 1A ports.